This I Believe

I believe you can start over again as a middle-aged person. I did. Sometimes you have to take that step of faith and jump off a ledge, so to speak. Some people call me “brave” – I think that I had to believe in myself to do it.

This is how it began for me. After living in Canada for 24 years and working as a high school administrative assistant, I had a desire to change jobs. But what to do? I had earned a Master’s degree in Library Science directly after I graduated from college and worked as a librarian for a while. Then I moved to Canada.

When I began to think about changing careers, I thought of library work but “Can I do it? Is my degree too out of date?” With the encouragement of friends, I started applying. Writing a resume, filling out applications – that in itself is a full-time job. And then – facing the dreaded interview – something I hadn’t done in a long time. A friend’s daughter helped me by doing a “mock” interview – then we critiqued it. She told me she would hire me – that was encouraging. Another “practice” interview with a friend’s husband was tougher – I knew what I had to work on.

I was pleased when I landed a job. Of course I was willing to re-locate – that was part of the process. It involved moving back to the U.S. and once I found a place to live and moved, I had to do all the things like get a driver’s license and find a bank, a doctor, a dentist, etc. Plus I had left a whole social network of friends. I moved to a town where I knew no one and I was 700 miles from family and friends. Was it rough at times? I’ll admit that it was. Was I lonely? Yes. But the satisfaction I received from working in a job in my field of study gave me a lift. Starting over again at 51? Yes, you can do it. I did it – and I believe you can too – give it a try.

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Top 100 Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

This week’s essay

As half of the magic act Penn and Teller, Penn Jillette enjoys challenging his audiences with the unconventional. In stating his personal credo, Jillette finds liberation in believing there is no God. Click here to read his essay.